CALIFF UNSURE WHY HE SAT OUT

Minutes after Nowak said in his press conference that Califf had undergone an offseason procedure to have meniscus removed from his left knee and that he endured a cortisone shot, Califf refuted those statements.

“It was a surprise to me. I didn't find out I wasn't playing until today, when we walked into the locker room," Califf said. “I guess I found out. Supposedly I have a knee injury."

Califf said he had something called synvisc, or "joint grease," injected into his knee, March 5 -- a week before the season opener. But other than that, Califf said he had been cleared by all doctors and medical staff from the Union to play Sunday. Califf went all 90 minutes in a March 12 loss at Portland.

“Honestly, that's the first time I've heard about my knee being a problem," Califf said. "I don't really understand where that's coming from. I have no idea what's going on in Peter's head because he hasn't said a word to me. To be honest, I don't really have any idea. I would've thought that he at least would have a conversation with me. But he didn't and maybe that's his style and that's the situation right now."

Here are Nowak's exact words:

“Danny's still – you guys don't know – he has a shot in his knee. Doctors in the offseason took a pretty good chunk of meniscus," Nowak said. "He started preseason and didn't do anything until the first day. … We're monitoring the situation to make sure he's ready to play, but he's going to be available for us and getting the performance that we all expect."

So why did Califf make the 18-man gameday roster?

“Because,” Nowak said, “we didn't know … with Chris (Albright) coming back as well, I think we just wanted to make sure (Califf) would be available for us.”